Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 12.5%
Joe’s Take
As far as new release posts go, this one is a treat. I mean that in two ways; 1 – we got to go back and visit Casita Brewing Company in Wilson, NC and 2 – we tasted a great dessert beer.
It had been a while since we had made the quick trip out to Wilson to see what the brewery that started it all for us (check out our first post ever here) and we were excited to see what was on tap. We got luck that our buddy Taj was working (check out his instagram @blackbeardedbeernerd) as he is a wealth of knowledge and a fellow appreciator of craft beer. He pointed us to a few of their new options on tap and we settled on “Nü-Tella” – their latest imperial stout. I know we have done a lot of stouts lately but hey, it is getting toward the end of stout season (even though you can argue that stouts are good year round). Being a fan of Nutella slathered on toast, I was eager to give this beer a try.
I got a small pour of the boozy imperial (12.5% ABV ain’t no joke) and it was a very deep brown color with a bit of haze to it. It had an interesting appearance compared to some of the other inky black stouts I have had before and welcomed the difference in appearance. It seemed to be very fitting for the name as it did resemble Nutella to some degree. Atop the beer sat a nice brown foam that was more prominent than most other imperial stouts. I enjoyed that it stayed in a nice ring around the edge of the glass for the duration of the tasting.
The aroma of “Nü-Tella” was amazing and exuded notes of sweet cocoa, hazelnut, coffee, and roasted malt. It reminded me of a dessert or an aromatic sweet coffee beverage, like a mocha or latte. Despite the ABV, there were minimal alcoholic tones on the nose and the aroma profile did not intimidate the drinker’s palate with strong bitter char or heavy boozy notes. Instead, it invited you in to sit down and get comfortable for a complex flavor experience.
Before we get to the taste though let’s talk about that first sip. The mouthfeel of the beer was smooth and slightly mouth coating. Being such a big beer I wasn’t surprised that the brew was full-bodied and at some points, syrupy. The beer had a nice level of carbonation and this helped to lift some of this heaviness and increase the drinkability of the stout.
Now let’s talk taste – sweetness, cocoa, coffee, and hazelnut were the immediate flavors that stood out. They combined to form a delicious combination and the roasted characteristics of the hazelnut coffee and dark malts combined to make this beer reminiscent of a full-bodied cup of hazelnut coffee, minus the cream. The high alcohol content was well hidden as the sweetness it imparted meshed well with the cocoa and hazelnut flavors. This made the beer deceptively drinkable despite the whopping ABV.
As for pairing options, why not try the chocolate and beer pairing provided by Casita (this beer is one of the four provided in the tasting kit and you can pick a kit up at their taproom) or with a decadent dessert. This is certainly a great dessert beer and can even substitute for an after dinner treat.
Overall, this may be one of my favorites from the beers released this #stoutseason and I highly suggest you make the journey out to Casita in Wilson if you haven’t already. Cheers!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Dark brown bordering black, void of light, brown foam that hangs around. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Sweet, hazelnut, cocoa, roasty, coffee. (5/5)
Mouthfeel: Smooth, heavy, slightly mouth coating, nice level of carbonation. (4/5)
Taste: Sweet, hidden alcoholic sweetness, cocoa, slight bitterness on the finish, cocoa, nutty, roasty malt. Slight char. (4.5)
Drinkability: Drinkable for an imperial stout, big boi ABV that limits crushing. (4/5)
Total: 22/25
Nick’s Take
If there is one way to try beating these dreary, gray-sky days in February, it’s talking about new beer! For our New Release this week, we’re reviewing an imperial stout from Casita Brewing Company (Wilson, NC) called “Nü-Tella.” This was a collaboration with Safety Team Brewing, and I’m going to spoil it now: it was very good. Okay, that’s the review. Go to Casita and get this one right away.
Kidding…you know I’m going to have to get a little more wordy than that.
We were greeted by our friend and fellow beer enthusiast, Taj, and after catching up for a couple minutes, we asked him what was new and recommended. Being a fan of imperial stouts, he suggested we try “Nü-Tella,” which had just recently gone on tap. No second guessing occurred, as Joe and I each ordered a pour. Right away, my interest was high after seeing how enticing this stout looked, even in a disposable cup (can’t fault Casita for doing all they can to keep patrons safe). I noted that “Nü-Tella” appeared as a large espresso, with a light brown head that resembled crema sitting atop the rich dark brown of unfiltered coffee.
For an imperial stout, “Nü-Tella” was quite sweet-smelling. The nut and semisweet chocolate notes were prominent, but there were layers of roasted malt aromas, too. I detected coffee beans in the mix, which added to the complex profile nicely. I enjoyed the contrasts between each smell, going from chocolate, to coffee, to toasted nuts, and all while avoiding any really harsh or boozy notes – that’s gotta be difficult to accomplish with a beer coming in at 12.5% ABV.
No big surprise that “Nü-Tella” was a full-bodied stout that had a thick and creamy mouthfeel. Each sip coated my mouth and allowed flavors to develop. I was a bit caught off guard at how initially smooth it drinks, however. Again, there was not a lot of harshness or booziness that often comes into play with higher ABV beers. On the back of the tongue, a slightly burning mouthfeel did come about but it wasn’t a lasting sensation and only occurred on the finish of each drink. It was a great sequence that made it way too easy to go back for another sip.
I could also be succinct here as well and just say that this imperial stout tastes like some Nutella on some dark toast, or maybe a Ferrero Rocher; however, there is more flavor present in a pour of “Nü-Tella” than can be summed up in either comparison. I tasted that toasted nut I was getting on the nose and that went well with the semisweet chocolate flavors. The malts are probably most responsible for these roasty compounds, and the malt flavor really came through well on the backend. Just like when smelling the beer, you can cycle through several overlapping flavor characteristics, like sweet, nutty, malty, coffee, and chocolate. This would serve as the perfect beer to drink around a campfire on a chilly evening, as it does a great job warming you with every sip.
This hazelnut-inspired imperial stout was very delicious and smooth, and was easier to drink than a lot of stouts I’ve had that were not a whopping 12.5% ABV. I struggled scoring the drinkability aspect of the beer because it’s really difficult to give a high score to an imperial stout and something that has a higher alcohol content. In spite of that, “Nü-Tella” was so tasty and smooth to drink that I couldn’t knock it down very far on my rubric. This brew should definitely be on your radar if you live in the area of the brewery, or can get your hands on some cans from your nearest bottle shop.
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Looks like espresso; dark brown cloudy body and light brown creamy head. Looks very rich. (5/5)
Aroma: Toasted nut, semisweet chocolate, coffee. Not harsh. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth upfront, full body. A slightly burning/spiced finish. Leaves some mouth coating. (4.5/5)
Taste: Nutty, chocolatey, sweet, and roasty malt flavors. The combo creates a toasted nut flavor that mixes well with sweetness from chocolate. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Though a very high ABV, it is incredibly easy to drink! (4/5)
Total: 22.5/25
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